Air lift device



Sept. 29, 1931, J. M. SCHEUBER AIR LIFT DEVICE Fi led Aug.

15, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR JAM E Havmm 5c swam Sept. 29, 1931. J. M. SCHEUBER AIR LIFT DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 192'! 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR J! DISo 3c HEUE EQ ATTORNEY Patented Sept. 29, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES MADISON SCHEUBER, OF BAIBOIL, WYOMING AIR LII! DEVICE Application filed August 15. 1927. Serial No. 213,133.

My invention relates to improvements in air or gas lift devices for use in the oil industry; and the objects of my improvements are to provide an air or gas lift means for stimulating the flow of fluids in oil wells'and the like; to provide a device of the general character named. which will start an oil well flowing with much less pressure exerted upon the surface of the oil than is possible with the usual methods now employed. In the oil well industry there are many wells of greateror less depth which no longer operate as gushers or under the earth or gas pressure. In otherwords, there are wells that it has been current practice to designate as those requiring pumping. Within recent years the gas' pressure method of extracting oil from this type of well has been in somewhat general use, and briefly, embodies the closing of the top of the well casing the insertion of a smaller pipe down the casing to a point near the bottom' of the well and the application of gas or air under pressure to the surface of the oil by pumping it into the sealed cas- 5 ing. The pressure on the surface of the oil forces it down the casing and up the smaller pipe within the casing. Due to the excessive friction between the heavy oil and the easing and the frequently great depth of the so casing, it re uires high pressures of gas to start a well owing. This pressureis some times as high as 600 to 1,000 pounds per square inch.

An object of my. device is to permit of starting and continuin the flow of such a well with comparative y low gas pressures thereby eliminating the necessityof employing machinery and equipment capable of handling the excessive pressures as now 40 used. Other objects will appear as my device is more specifically set forth in the following specification and the accompanying I drawings, in, which,

Fig. 1 is a vertical, elevational and partsectionalview of one of my devices shown within the well casing;

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional plan view taken on line22of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 isa similar view taken on line 3 3 eflof Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial view of my complete device shown within a well casing which has been broken away. This view illustrates a well before gas pressure has been applied;

Fig. 5 illustrates my device within a well casing which is broken away and after pressure has been applied and oil is bein forced out of the well, the surface of the 011 being somewhat lowered;

Fig. 6 is similar to Figs. 4 and 5 with the exception thatthe level of the oil has been lowered below the first unit of my device and the second unit isin operation; 4

Fig. 7, which is similar to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, illustrates the well at the time the oil has been forced out until the surface level is approximately at the bottom of the apparatus within the casing.

- Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views, and my deyice is more specifically described as folows:

The usual oil well casing is put down into the drilled well hole in the usual manner and it is assumed that this casing 1 is usual in every respect to ordinary oil well construction. My device consists of an inner tubing 2 of somewhat smaller diameter and the easing 1 being inserted through a cap 3 on the casing passing. continuously down the interior of the well to a point near the bottom thereof.

At predetermined intervals along the tubing 2v are located tapered guides 3 which are secured to the tubing and are of such shape and size as to permit the tubing to be easily injected into the well or removed therefrom without permitting either the tubing or other portions of my device to become caught or 'ammed upon any irregularities within the well casing. These guides are preferably located, one above and one below each unit of my device- The separate and individual units of my device are secured and located at predeter- .mined intervals throughoutthe length of the.

tubing 2 and for ordmary use would probably be positioned about 40 feet apart. However, this distance may vary and 1s unmaterial to my invention as it will operate sucing 2 and are adapted and positioned to envalve 5 is in closed position.

In Fig. 1 valve 5 is shown in open position, float 4 being submerged in the oil or liquid ge contact faces 6 and 7.respectively when in the tubing. The top surface. of this oil orv liquid is indicated as at 8. Tubing 2 is provided with ports 9 which are'located between valve seats 6a and 7 a. These ports communicate directly from within casing 1 to within tubing 2 whenever valve 5'is in open position as shown in Fig. 1. Whenever valve 5 is lowered until the valve faces are in contact with the valve seats, it will be understood 'thatports- 9 are covered and therefore closed against all passage of the contents .of the easing into the tubing.

A gas valve body 10 is secured to tubing 2 at a position a shortdistance above float 4. The body 10 is provided withajtapered valve seat 11 which is adapted to receive a tapered valve 12. Valve 12 is slidably mounted upon a stem 13 which is shouldered as at 14 below the valve. An enlarged portion 15 of stem 13 extending below shoulder 14 is adiustablv secured by means of threading and a lock nut 16, or other suitable means, to float 4. When float 4 is in its upper position. as shownin Fig. 1, valve stem 15 is adjusted so that shoulder14 has engaged the bottom of valve12 and lifted it from seat 11 to such an extent that gas may freely flow past valve 12 through a gas. port 17 in tubing2. When float 4.is lowered, which'occurs when the liquid surface 8 is lowered in the casing to such an extent that float4 no longer floats,

' valve stem 15 becomes disengaged from valve 12 which in turn closes either ,under its own weight or underthe action of gas pressure upon it. thereby closing port. 17.

It will be noted in Fig. 1 that valve 12 is open and above surface of the liquid 8 thereby being in position to permit of the passage of any gas under pressure which may be abovethe surface of the liquid in the casing.

It is further understood that port 17 is comparatively small and that the amount of gas permitted to pass into the tubing 2 under such circumstances is suflicient to raise not of sufli'cient size to permit enough gas to pass through it to materially reduce the pressure'of the gas above the liquid surface 8.

When float 4 is at its lowest position, or in other words, is no longer float1ng,-as previously stated valve 5 is closed and gas valve 12 is also closed, thereby eliminating all flowage either of liquid contents of the casing or of the gas above the surface of the liquid from entering tubing 2. A button 18 on the head of stem 13 prevents the opening or accidentalloss of valve 12 from stem 13.

It will be further noted that the method as illustrated of suspending valve 5 from float 4 includes lugs 19 secured to float 4, threaded bolts 20 passing through lugs 19 and threaded into valve 5- thereby permitting of a certain limited amount of adjustment. Lock nuts 21 prevent the accidental movement of the bolts with respect to the valve.

Referring further to Fig. 1 and to Figs. 4 and 5, it will be noted that, as previously stated, casing 1 is rendered gas tight by means of cap 3 and that gas or air under pressure is supplied by means of a connection 22 between caps of casing 1 and agas receiver 23, which 1n turn is connected as at 24 to a means of delivering gas under pressurenot shown-such as an ordinary gas or air compressor.

Referring more particularly to the various stages of the operation of my device as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, it will be understood, as illustrated in Fig. 4, that when the gas pressure is first a plied to the surface ofrst or uppermost unit' the oil as at 8 the which includes float 4, valve 5, air valve 12 and the other mechanism connected therewith and as previously described, is in an open position as illustratedin Fig. 1. At this time this uppermost unit along tubing 2 is not located at a great distance below the surface 8 of the liquid in the casing 1. As-

pressure is applied to the surface of the liquid the said liquid is forced through the ports 9 and up the tubing 2'. The other units which are located along the tubing 2 at greater depth in the casing arealso in open position the same as the uppermost unit. This is generally true, of all submerged units because of the fact that float 4in each unit opens the valve 5 whenever the float is submerged. But

due to the fact that there is considerable friction between the casing and the liquid contained therein, it is evident that the liquid in the casing will pass through the ports of the uppermost unit more readily than those of any lower units. Therefore, until the surface of the liquid has been lowered to a point below the first unit the second is not in operation although it is in operating position. When the surface of the liquid 8 has been lowered to a point as indicated in Fig. 5 air or'gas valve' 12 being in open position the gas un er pressure is permitted to flowpast the valve 12 through port 17 into tubing 2 where it mixes with. the oil and lifts the contents of tubing 2 up and out of the top of the well. This part of the-process, namely the entermg of .011 through the ports 9 and of gas through the ports 17 simultaneously continues from the time valve 12 is uncovered by the lowering liquid in the casing and until float 4 has closed the valve 5 due to the lowering of the surface of the liquid. This period is" of comparatively short duration but is of suflicient length of time to permit of the gas which enters at valve 12. to clear the tubing 2 of oil from the point of entry to top of the casing. After surface 8 of the liquid has been lowered below the topmost unit and valve 5 of this unit has been closed as shown in Fig. 6, the process just described is repeated with the next unit below and so on until the bottom of the well has been reached as indicated in Fig. 7, at which time the gas and the oil mix together and enter the bottom of tubing 2 and flow upwardly therein.

It will be apparent that with my device a gas pressure required to start and continue the operation of pumping a well by means of this gas lift is comparatively low due to the fact that the various units are located at no great distance apart. It has been previously stated that applicant believes about 40 feet to be the proper spacing between units. This being the case, the frictional resistance to be overcome in the casing is only that occurring over the distance of 40 feet as a maximum, whereas in the usual apparatus the frictional resistance must be overcome over a much greater distance and in many cases throughout the full depth of the well before any flowage has been started.

In actual practice it has. frequently been necessary to build up a gas pressure as high as 600,pounds per square inch in order to start a well flowing from the bottom up, whereas, with. my device an ordinary well should be started with not to exceed 75 pounds pressure per square inch. Thus it will .be seen that a well may be started flowing and maintained as a flowing well with much less pressure and consequently much less expense of powerful apparatus using my device than otherwise.

There is another feature in connection with the use of my device,that is, that the gas pressure required to start a well flowing and to maintain it in operation is approximately uniform with my device, whereas, in the usual practice of starting a well as previous ly described, a very high pressure, perhaps up to 600 pounds per square inch must be used at starting while after the well has been started and the oil surface very much lowered it will properly operate upon a very much lower pressure. This illustrates the necessity of having apparatus capable of producing high gaspressures for purposes of starting and which are not needed after a well is properly flowing, whereas, in my device a constant low pressure gas compressor is all that is required at any time, either starting or during flowing.

While my invention, as set forth in the above specification illustrates one specific T construction, yet I am aware that many modifications of the general a pearance involved I might be made without e arting from the general principles, I therefore do not wish to be limited to the exact construction as herein illustrated and described.

I claim;

1. In a float valve operated pumping mechanism adapted to deep oil wells which are cased and have means for supplying a gas pressure within said casing, the combination of a single stationary tubing throughout the depth of said casing and having ports arranged at a predetermined position, a circular valve seat surrounding and secured to said tubing below said ports, a valve slidably mounted on said tubing above said valve seat and adapted to engage said seat and close the ports, and a valve operating float, whereby the valve is opened when the float is subliquid from near the top surface thereof progressively from top to bottom of the well and including a single stationary tubing extending throughout the length of the well and ports in said tubing arranged in groups at predetermined intervals throughout the length of said tubing, the combination of a a pumping unit including a circular valve seat integral with said tubing and positioned below and adjacent a group of ports; a tubular valve slidably mounted upon said tubing at said group of ports and normally covering said ports and in contact with said valve seat when the valve is above the surface ofthe liquid in the well, a float slidably mounted around said tubing and connected directlyto said valve, whereby while the float is submerged in the liquid in the well, its valve has been raised and uncovered the grou of ports and as the liquid surface in the well 1s lowered the float automatically closes the valve and ports without movement of the tubing.

3. In an automatic gas pressure well pumping mechanism which employs a continuous single stationary tubing within the well and a series. of pumping units positioned at intervals along said tubing, the combination of a unit comprising a group of ports arranged circumferentially of said tubing, circular valve seats secured circumferentially of said tubing one below and one above said group of ports, a cylindrical valve slidably mounted on said tubing and adapted to normally close said group of ports by covering them and contacting the said valve seats simultaneously, a cylindrical float slidably mounted upon said tubing above said valve and attached thereto, whereby when the float is submerged, the valve is lifted and the group of ports is uncovered.

4. In an automatic gas pressure well pumping mechanism which employs a continuous single stationary tubing within the well and a series of pumping units positioned at intervalsalong said tubing, the combination of a unit comprisin a group of ports arranged circumferentia y of said tubing, circ ar valve seats secured circumferentially of said tubing one below and one above, and group of ports, a cylindrical valve slidably mounted on said tubing. and adapted to normally close said group ofports by covering them and contacting the said valve seats simultaneously, a cylindrical float slidably mounted upon said tubing. above said valve and attached thereto, whereby when the float is submerged, the valvejs lifted and the group of ports is uncovered; 'a gas valve body secured to said tubing above said float, a valve seat in said body, a valvestem secured to said float and extending centrall through the valve seat in the valve y, a valve slidably mounted upon said stem and maintained in an open position when the float is submerged,

a gas port connectin the seat in the valve body and the inside 0 said tubing and adapted to be closed b the last,mentioned valve. JAMES SCHEUBER. 

